SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State men’s soccer team (1-1-3) played Cal State Bakersfield (1-1-2) to a 2-2 draw on the SDSU Sports Deck Saturday evening. The Aztecs’ Nik Orth scored the equalizer in the 89th minute on a penalty kick following a video review for a Roadrunner handball in the box.
“Bakersfield brought a lot of fight, and they made the game scrappy and difficult for us,” Head coach Ryan Hopkins said after the match. “I don’t think we could ever get our pressure right.”
The Aztecs hit the ground running and scored in the third minute when Jaxson Hutcheon one-touched a nice lead pass from Nik Orth.
“We couldn’t have gotten off to a better start,” Hopkins explained. “College soccer is a game of momentum, and I think we lost our momentum.”
SDSU didn’t allow a shot on goal in the first half and took a 1-0 lead into the halftime break. The Roadrunners tied the match in the 47th minute when Lorimer Bouman headed in a Filip Arras corner.
Bakersfield took the lead in the 79th minute on a long-distance free kick goal from Arras.
In the 89th minute, a SDSU long ball appeared to hit a Roadrunners’ extended elbow just inside the 18-yard box. After an Aztecs’ challenge, the call was ruled a handball to set up Orth’s penalty kick with 68 seconds remaining. Orth converted the PK to secure the draw for SDSU.
STAT OF THE MATCH
SDSU’s two goals were their only shots on goal on the night.
THE NOTE
Nik Orth has scored four goals in the last three matches.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs host Sacramento State Friday at 7 p.m.